Unspoken

The seasons continually cycle and change. Autumn is my particular favorite time of the year. It has certain affects on me. I begin to change my attire from short sleeves to long sleeves. I begin to take advantage of every opportunity to spend outside before the winter season arrives.

The season of fall is a testimony to the existence of God. There is a stable order in the seasons that should not have resulted from random chance. This seasonal cycle of order testifies to the God who is there. With every gust of wind that carries orange leaves across the landscape, God receives glory.

The season of fall also reminds me of the sinful fallen state of man. Our Fall also has its effects. “For all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.”

Whenever an unbeliever does a good deed, it still falls short because that person does not do it for God's glory. There is none righteous. No, not one! The affect of the Fall permeates every aspect of our being. The heart is desperately wicked. And Who can know it?

Just as surely as the spring brings the fall back to life, so does God bring the fallen to life. God's word is more certain than the fact that our seasons will change.

The leaves wither and die. Yet, when spring time arrives, the foliage is revived back to life!

The gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached to everyone through the seasonal changes.

Jesus was resurrected from the dead and now offers life to all who will receive Him.

This is the good news. The effects of the fall upon our lives do not have to be eternal; by the grace of God they can be seasonal.

Jesus said to her “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he may die, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25)

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches ,, and favor is better than silver or gold.”

There is a lot to a name. More than we realize. A name usually comes with connotations. I guarantee there are people you know that if I were to mention their name… thoughts would come to your mind. Mother Teresa. Adolf Hitler. Joe the plumber. Mention a politician's name and it will either be met with disdain or approval.

Names usually last longer than the individual. There have been ministries or businesses that still carry a person's name despite the fact their founder is long gone. Ford's motors. Lottie Moon.

Go to a grave site. Often all we are able to know is a name written on their tombstone.

Solomon says a name is of more value than gold or treasures. Gold is passed on after the person passes. But a name remains.

The only reason you have been given life is to reflect glory onto the real Treasure – God Himself.

From time to time I hear people use the analogy “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” This phrase often appears whenever a friend recommends a movie, TV show, play, novel, conference, concert or some form of entertainment or education. Maybe you have come across these types of suggestions. The recommendation usually begins by highlighting the excellence of the craft and continues by expounding on the good aspects and values of the subject matter. By the middle of the recommendation, one would be compelled to watch, experience, or read what the complementary critic is explaining. There would appear to be no problem with the high praise of the good qualities of the subject matter…until the conversation takes a slow, downward spiral. The person briefly mentions the immoral “bath water” that was sprinkled throughout the movie, performance, or event. They vaguely mention the language or offensive material found in the subject and then follow with the words, “But don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” The conversation ends with both parties pleased and smiling about the wonderful subject matter. They leave with their consciousness seemingly Scott-free and no one dares to ask a very important question: is this justifiable?

On the surface, the idiom of the baby and the bath water seems appropriate and sound. It would be utterly foolish for a mother the toss out her precious baby just because the water it bathed in was filled with dirt and silt. In fact, if a mother did this she would be reprimanded and imprisoned because of her evil, unthinkable act. And rightly so.

But does this analogy cross over into the realm of entertainment? Does this thinking justify the educational value of the subject matter? Is the keeping of the “Baby and the bathwater” the only way to relay important information or display a well crafted art to a person? Does the good in something outweigh the immoral and ungodly content? There is a more excellent way.

When comparing this analogy to a movie, book, or play there are several faults that must be considered. The “baby” represents the seemingly irreplaceable good, and moral in a subject. The “bath water” is the seemingly unimportant, non-impacting, tolerable sin that can be shrugged off in the presence of goodness. The justification lies in the idea that one can just discard any unwholesomeness and need only focus on the good. This idea rests on the assumption that one can sit through a two hour film filled with blasphemous language and walked away unscathed. This concept tries to convey the idea that an individual can watch sex-scenes in a movie and then automatically forget the thoughts, images, and connotations they just viewed. This arrogant fallacy rests on the strength of people to simply laugh off the vulgarity, ignore the inappropriate, and nonchalantly avert their mind away from the damnable sin they had just been exposed too. O how proud we have become.

One important misconception is the comparison of the content to “the baby”. The fundamental problem is when people deem the good content in these types of entertainment as irreplaceable. To them it would appear that there is absolutely no other possible means of learning about a good message than to watch it in something that is riddled with “excusable” sin. They are led to believe that the moral or meaning could not be conveyed in any other way than to see that particular film, read that particular book, or view that particular production. On the contrary, the tainted good is nothing like a child. A baby is irreplaceable. A baby is precious and priceless. The content of a certain film is not. Excellent acting can be found in completely untainted scenes. Superb directing can be appreciated in clean films. And certainly, morals and good messages can be impacting in undefiled novels. If the storyline must require an adultery or immoral act, then it can still be presented in a wholesome fashion. I do not need a step-by-step description or viewing of the adultery to get the point. I do not need the foul language to understand the anger or fear of an individual- regardless of the character’s circumstances. Take Scripture for example. David committed sin with Bethesda , but we are not given the intimate details of their sinful encounter. Adultery, murder and all manner of evil is written about in the Holy Word of God. Yet it remains Holy. The material is presented in a way that does not violate the reader nor does it excuse the sin. There are ways to show evil without doing evil. The good in films does not have to be wrapped in violating sin. The “baby” in these types of entertainment can and should be found elsewhere.

Another problem with this comparison is the “bathwater”. Dirty water used from a shower was once clean water. Pure water was poured onto a dirty body in order to cleanse. This is not the case with the “bathwater” found in the world. The filth and showing of detailed immorality was never clean nor can it cleanse. It has the opposite affect of bathwater. It does not clean the mind; it contaminates it. It does not rid the soul of evil; it fills it with sin. Viewing, hearing, or participating in it does not purge the heart; it pierces the One who lives inside of it.

If the “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater” phrase applied in this case ,then God would approve. But He does not. He made a more excellent way through the cross. He gave His life to save His children from impure and unholy chains. He shed his blood to rid us of the very things people choose to expose their hearts to. He suffered pain so that we could be free from the bondage of vulgarity, corrupt words, innuendoes, images, and ungodliness. A person does not need to expose himself to sin-sprinkled entertainment in order to be “cultured”. A person does not need to tolerate sin in order to be educated. If a person is concerned enough about purity, they will find a more excellent way to learn, rather than to subject their souls to the very thing their Lord died for.

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is Holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

"In antiquity there was only silence. In the nineteenth century, with the invention of the machine, Noise was born. Today, Noise triumphs and reigns supreme over the sensibility of men.” –Luigi Russolo

“Noise is the most impertinent of all forms of interruption. It is not only an interruption, but is also a disruption of thought.”- Arthur Schopenhauer

“Silence is exhilarating at first-as noise is-but there is a sweetness to silence outlasting exhilaration, akin to the sweetness of listening and the velvet of sleep.”

-Edward Hoagland

“NOISE, n. A stench in the ear. Undomesticated music. The chief product and authenticating sign of civilization.” –Ambrose Bierce

Try this:

I dare you.

-Shut the door to the room you’re in. (If you’re not in a room with a door, find one.) -Put your cell phone on SILENT. Not vibrate, not quiet, SILENT. Or, better yet, put it somewhere where you can’t see or hear it. (I know it’s hard, but you can do it.)

-Turn off all music, TVs, radios, and iPods you can hear or see.

……And just….. sit….. still.

For thirty minutes.

Hmm. I wonder how many of you were actually planning on trying it until you got to the thirty minutes part….

Now, you are welcome to actually try this, but you don’t have to. That little challenge was just an introduction to get you guys in the right mindset. The real challenge is much harder…but we’ll get to that later.

In February, my pastor told me about this monastery where you can go and stay for long periods of time. They encourage you to pray, think, read, and to a certain extent, relax. Get away from the noise. I don’t know about you, but that sounds… really nice! But here’s the catch: no iPods, no TV, no music, no cell phone, no laptops, no pagers, beepers, no NOTHING that’s electronic or makes sound.

Woah.

Think that would be tough? What if we added no speaking? Ha! If I was honest with myself, I’d have to say I wouldn’t last long! What about you?

I got this idea/ challenge from a friend who told me they were going for one month (June) without movies, texting, TV, Facebook/Myspace or radio/music.

When they told me, I’m slightly ashamed to admit, my first thought was : “Great, how inconvenient...(for me).” As many of you know, my memory tends to be a bit sketchy, but I may even have said the first part aloud. Can you believe that?! How selfish! Instead of admiring, encouraging, or even thoughtfully questioning their decision, my immediate reaction was to think of what it meant for me.

Thankfully, about two minutes later I registered my self-absorbed thought and quickly reprimanded myself. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more irate at myself I became…..and of course….. eventually curious.

So I started to think, “Hmm…I wonder if I could do that?” Then, “Of course I could! I don’t watch that much TV and I’m not totally communicative with texts and …I got along just fine before Facebook or Myspace…I think I’ll do it.”

Once again, see the selfishness here? My motivations were far from holy. I wasn’t challenging myself to think deeper, pray longer, or work harder, I was just plain challenging myself to prove I could do something someone else could.

Wait a minute! This sounds familiar….oh yeah.

Pride comes before the fall. Isaiah 14 can tell you all about it.

This is so not why I started writing this… once again I am making it all about self. But maybe this brief (ha) background information is necessary to show that what I am about to get to (I promise) is not to ‘toot my own horn’ as they say. In fact…I don’t even think I have a horn to toot…maybe a broken kazoo…but definitely no horn.

My original point was to bring to question the amount of noise in our lives.

“In antiquity there was only silence. In the nineteenth century, with the invention of the machine, Noise was born. Today, Noise triumphs and reigns supreme over the sensibility of men.” –Luigi Russolo

How. True. Noise is everywhere and noise is constant.

Even if you did try to do the thing I mentioned above, it would be practically impossible to find total and complete silence.

For instance, right now I am sitting in my room on my bed. Normally I would have a movie playing on my TV or music blasting out of my stereo. Even with all my noise devices off, I can still here the air conditioner whirring, my window beads tinkling as they hit each other, my laptop humming slightly, my mom downstairs cooking, my brother's TV show.

Some silence huh? I’ll try going outside.

Nope. Birds are freaking out, bugs are freaking out, cars are driving by, our TV must really be turned up. I live on the lake so I have the added sounds of water lapping on the rocks and, every now and then, a boat zooming by on the lake. I can hear not only it, but the music the passengers have blaring. ……and just as I feared, my dog has spotted the jogging neighbor, so now we can add furious barking to the din.

“NOISE, n. A stench in the ear. Undomesticated music. The chief product and authenticating sign of civilization.” –Ambrose Bierce

“authenticating sign of civilization”….makes me think of Fahrenheit 451, a novel by Ray Bradbury about a futuristic society in which firemen’s job is to burn books. Every person in this society is in a constant daze of sensation and spectacle. From literally wall to wall ‘wallscreens’, to ‘seashells’ that fit in your ear keeping you connected and yet disconnected to the media, there is no silence, no thought, and no personal. The scariest thing is this was written in 1953 where family televisions were still considered a luxury and cell phones were far from existence. ‘Wallscreens?’ ‘Seashells?’ Sounds like Plasma widescreens and Bluetooth to me.

Again, let me clarify. I did ‘take on the challenge’….but only almost. I didn’t cut movies, I’ve watched TV once a week for a show I like that has not yet ended, and while driving back from orientation in South Carolina, I listened to my iPod to help me stay awake.

But even with that, it has still been an experience. I wasn’t aware of the amount of work I cold get accomplished in a day when I didn’t sit and watch mindless television shows or browse through Facebook for hours!

And (Haha!) I gotta admit, the reactions I’ve gotten from people have been worth it in itself!

-“Um…why?”

-“……Oookay….”

-“HOW long?”

-“Sounds inconvenient.” (where have I heard that before?)

-“………” (that’s a blank stare)

-“Ha! Good luck with that.”

-and the one or two surprising “Cool! How’s it been going so far? What have you learned?”

You don’t realize how dependent on something you are until you take it away. Let’s start with TV and other electronic time consuming things. The second day or so, I actually found myself wandering around my house looking for something to do. I don’t think I had ever stopped to calculate how many hours there are in a day and how many I spent in front of a screen! Which brings us to Facebook and Myspace. Wanna feel disconnected? Cut those two networks from your life and you will definitely feel that. Even I did at first and I considered myself an infrequent user.

Especially when I got my roommate list from my school! Oh, it was SO hard not get on Facebook and look them up! Or text them! I did briefly worry that they would think I was a snob for not answering their messages, but I hoped they would understand once I talked to them in person. (they did)

Granted, I could have called…but that almost seemed too personal.

Isn’t that sad?

Calling someone to talk on the phone, actually speak to another human being voice to voice, felt too personal.

Maybe now that’s just a personality flaw in me…but when I was in middle school (before texting), I remember I had absolutely no problem calling strangers on the phone.

Moving on to no texting and music. Talk about doing anything to avoid thinking! Anytime I wasn’t doing something that required my 100% attention (and sometimes even when I was) I would text. Waiting in line, waiting for the movie to start, waiting for the laundry to finish, waiting for the computer to come on, waiting for the light to turn, waiting for the food to be ready, waiting for my flat-iron to heat up, whenever I felt like there was a lack of action, out came the phone and on clicked the buttons. No wonder calling felt personal! I never even called my friends to talk! I just read their abbreviated thoughts on a tiny screen totally and completely absent from them.

Music in the car. What a waste of precocious potential quiet! Even praise and worship music, while wonderful and beautiful, can be just plain noise. Think about it, when else do you have a small, relatively comfortable space all to your self with almost noise-proof surroundings? People often complain about the noise in their lives but then they get in their car and create more! I’ve done it countless times. Good grief, I even sleep with a humming machine I call a “noise-maker!”

So why then?

Why do we do it?

Why do we allow the never-ending hullabaloo?

Why do waiting rooms and elevators and stores and phones on hold and DVD menus have music playing or screens flashing?

Because silence is perceived as awkward.

What do we say when there’s a lull in the conversation or maybe no conversation at all? “Awkward silence! Someone say something! Someone -break the silence!”

When you stop to actually think about it, it’s a bit…overwhelming.

“Noise is the most impertinent of all forms of interruption. It is not only an interruption, but is also a disruption of thought.”- Arthur Schopenhauer

That has been my gain.

Thought.

I have gained so much thought. Not only thought, but prayer. When there’s no beeping phone or pounding music or screaming television to distract (because that’s usually all it’s doing), you really start to look inside yourself. You start to see inside yourself. Ever heard the phrase ‘integrity is how you act when no one’s watching?’ It’s true.

But it’s also what you think when only you and, here’s a frightening thought, GOD can hear.

A lot of self-discovery is possible when you think. The thoughts that just pop in your head seemingly out of nowhere sometimes. Your immediate reactions to something and then how you dwell on it. How often you seize an opportunity to pray.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psalm 46:1

Prayer is the discovery of God’s will and your prayer life reveals your view of God. No matter how much we like to think it, God’s planning does not depend on our requests. Praying and discovering God’s will leads us to choose whether we are going to be a part of it or not. But have no doubts, God is absolutely sovereign:

-Romans 11:29 “For God’s gifts and His call can never be withdrawn.”

-Psalm 33:11 “But the Lord’s plan stands firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken.”

-Eccl. 7:13 “Notice the way God does things; then fall into line. Don’t fight the ways of God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked?”

Look at this incredible story in Exodus. This is right after Moses has gone up the mountain to see God and the Israelites have grumbled (again) and disobeyed God (again).

Exodus 32:7-14 ⁷The Lord told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. ⁸ How quickly they have turned away from the way I commanded them to live! They have melted down gold and made a calf, and they have bowed down and sacrificed to it. They are saying, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

⁹ Then the Lord said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.”

¹¹ But Moses tried to pacify the Lord his God. “O Lord!” he said. “Why are you so angry with your own people whom you brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and such a strong hand? ¹² Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people! ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.^[a] You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’”

¹⁴ So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.”

Although it says the Lord changed his mind, he didn’t change his plans. God wanted Moses to take on God’s will. Moses was made to take on the passion and compassion of God. Of God’s purpose. God was never going to break His covenant, but His will was for Moses to articulate His purpose.

People often reserve prayer for bedtime, mealtime, and occasionally, when someone’s sick.

Which brings me to another point! WHY do we treat God like snack machine?!!

"I don't treat God like a snack machine, how can you treat God like a snack machine, I don't know what you mean, but I don't do that!"

Ooooh yes you do!! What is the majority of prayer requests? For God to heal sickness, ailments, and ingrown toenails. Now don't get me wrong, God is the great Physician. He can, and if it's His will, will heal you. But just once, I'd like to hear someone pray about Kingdom things. "Pray God grants me patience with my co-worker."

"Pray Christ gives me courage to tell my friend about His Love."

"Please, pray I use my break from school to go deeper in God's Word."

"I want prayer that I will fall so deeply in love with my Savior, that it infiltrates every aspect of my life!"

But regrettably, we as sometimes complacent christians press God's request buttons and order what we wish. What's worse, sometimes we even get don't even want to put OUR installments in the slot for it.

Dear God,

"B14. Give me a girlfriend."

"G8. I need that promotion."

"D11. Heal my aching back."

Amen.

Come on.

Kingdom things. Prayer should be about Kingdom things.

That is, if people get a chance to pray at all. More than three times a day that is, because some people don't. Not because they don’t see the necessity of prayer, but because they are relentlessly bombarded by distraction of commotion! No wonder my pastor wants to go to a monastery for silence, it’s absurd to expect it anywhere else!

How acutely tragic.

Don’t get me wrong. Worship and praise is glorious! I love to worship in song!

Psalm 98: 1, 4-6 “Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. …4 Shout to the Lord, all the earth;  break out in praise and sing for joy!  ⁵ Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song,  ⁶ with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.  Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!”

But when does joyful symphony become routine clamor?

Maybe sometimes…music isn’t required for exhilarating worship.

So here’s a challenge from me to you: next time you drive somewhere, don’t turn on the radio or a CD, but take the time to say a prayer thanking God for the week you’ve had. Instead of sitting down to flip through the channels, flip through scripture and read a passage you’ve never read before. Instead of surfing through Facebook or texting someone, call them and listen to what they’ve been up to. Instead of a movie to take up a couple of hours, find a book and read. (it’s healthier anyway)

“Silence is exhilarating at first-as noise is-but there is a sweetness to silence outlasting exhilaration, akin to the sweetness of listening and the velvet of sleep.”

-Edward Hoagland

“Silence exhilarating,” you say? “Yeah right! Peaceful maybe, relaxing sometimes, pensive perhaps, but …exhilarating? Nah.”

“And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.”

1 Kings 19:11-12

And by the way, the “gentle whisper” is also translated as:

a thin silence.

“Ah! That feeling confirms what I’ve been praying for! It’s a sign. I’m going to take that as a yes.”

Impatience produces problems. Remember Abraham? (Genesis 15-16) He was impatient with God’s promise and looked for ways to reinterpret what God had said. I’m sure thoughts went through Abraham’s mind like this, “Mmm…that’s it! I’ll sleep with my servant! I have a good feeling about this. I guess this is sort of a peace that came from God… yeah, must be a ‘yes’ from God. Plus my wife confirms it – wise counsel from a friend and with accountability. I should have known this years ago.”

Sounds crazy right? How could Abraham mishear what God so clearly said? Impatience (and trying to interpret God’s will apart from Scripture) was a huge part of the problem.

Sometimes God wants us to search for Him and know that we really want His will in our lives.

I used to have a ring tone that made a pretty distinctive sound. One day I was in the shower and waiting on a phone call from a friend. While shampooing my hair, I thought I heard my phone ringing. I quickly dried off and ran to answer the call…. Which was non- existent. My mind was so focused on receiving the call that I interpreted every sound as my cell phone. I have checked my phone a minimum of five times during some showers because I’ve been so anxious for a text or call. When one is impatient, even the slightest showerhead noise or bathroom curtain can be interpreted as a phone call.

Our interpretations of God’s answers are no different. So many impatient people (my self included) interpret anything as God’s answer. The slightest feeling or bumper-sticker is taken as an excuse to follow the path you want.

“Even zeal is not good without knowledge, and the one who acts hastily sins.” (Proverbs 19:2 HCSB)

Hasty decisions are usually not in God’s will. If you are trying to decide to buy a house, take more than a minute to pray about it. If you are trying to decide on a career, take more than a day to pray about it. If you are trying to decide to become romantically involved with someone, take more than a month to pray about it.

If you are patient, when God gives His answer, you will know its God’s ring tone and not a showerhead.

If you are contemplating making a crucial decision, take more than a mere moment to access the issue. Use prayer, Scripture, wise counsel, and God’s timing.

Prayer: “God, I will wait on your will and your answer. I trust your timing.”

“I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind- for this is your reasonable act of worship. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:1-2 connects the first step of sacrifice to the second step of searching.

Think of an Easter egg hunt. If you really want to find where the egg is located, then you must go and search for it. If you are going to look for an item in your house, you must first get off the couch and leave your original spot to begin the quest.

Searching for God’s will requires the same action. We must leave our present state of mind and begin searching for God’s mind. Therefore, I am going to make a very crucial statement regarding the will of God.

If you are not in God’s Word, you are and will continue to be out of God’s will.

You will never know God’s answers to your prayers, never know His direction for your life, and will never be in God’s blessing if you do not read Scripture.

God’s will aligns perfectly with His word. The Holy Spirit’s direction for your life coincides beautifully with His written directions.

Romans 12:2 tells us that our minds must be transformed before we can ever know God’s plan for our life. Our minds are “renewed” and “transformed” by a daily meeting with God through His word.

“Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalms 119:105)

God’s word shows us His plan for our lives. Often times in daily scripture readings God will show us His answer to our prayers. When we delight in His Word, then our desires become His.

God is trying to bless us and show us His will, yet we cannot hear Him because we have closed off all means of communication. God speaks through His Word. I cannot over emphasize the importance of this in our daily lives.

After you take the first selfless step of sacrifice begin the step of searching the Scriptures.

When it comes to emotions and prayer, one must bring extreme caution and Biblical wisdom to the table. Many people have misheard God and the consequences are often devastating. Examples of this can range from a murder (e.g. the recent murder of Dr. Tiller) to a marriage. Many sincere individuals have thought God was saying “yes” to their requests when in fact God was saying “No” all along.

I can personally testify that I have made many fleshly decisions while believing the entire time I was in God’s will. I have also observed many people make unwise choices the whole time assured by the fact that they have “prayed about it”. How can we be so easily deceived? What precautions can we take to ensure that we are hearing God correctly? Are there signs to show that He has given the “ok” to our requests?

Since God is the one whom we are praying to and since it is concerning His will, I think He the most qualified on the subject:

“… that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2)

“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17)

Often times we do not hear because we do not listen. We do not hear God’s voice because we can not hear it. If our ears are not in tune, all we will pick up are signals from the flesh. Oh but how different the flesh is perceived to our ears! The flesh’s voice does not come with a dark evil tone or a noticeable satanic vibration. Rather it appeals to our earthly desires. Satan sounded very smooth in the Garden of Eden and he appealed to Eve’s desires. The first step we must take when searching for God’s will is the selfless step of sacrifice.

Jesus was petitioning God to find out for sure what His perfect will was for His life. Here is what Jesus prayed, “Not my will Lord, but yours be done.”

One way to discern God’s “ok” from a fleshly “ok” is to have a true heart for God’s will. God’s answer will come when the individual sincerely prays, “God, even if it is not in your will to (fill in the blank), then I will still be satisfied and follow your choice.”

We can begin to hear God when we are completely satisfied with Him despite His answers. Come to His throne with Him on the throne. Before you pray, purpose in your heart to follow Him even if He denies your request. That’s when God can begin to work in your life and bless you.

My graduating class took our senior trip to San Antonio Texas . Our itinerary included everything from seeing the famous Shamoo (or one of the famous Shamoos) to remembering the Alamo . One of my best friends was particularly interested in visiting the Alamo . Ever since his childhood he has expressed interest in going into the military. As we took our self-guided tour through the building where Davy Crocket and others made their final stand, I noticed how my friend lingered in deep thought at each historical artefact. We then proceeded to watch an impressive Imax documentary on the final battle at the Alamo . While the majority of my classmates took this time to sleep, he sat enthralled in the film. On the bus ride back to our hotel, I asked him what captivated him most about the military and the Alamo . He responded by saying, “Those men lived and died for something greater than themselves. That’s what I want to do with my life."

“So Abram said to Lot , ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.’ And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan , and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom .” (Genesis 13:8-11)

One way to trash a master piece is to live your life the way you want to. A common symptom of the ordinary life is blind self-absorption. The way to appeal to an audience or patrons is to make them feel like they are in control. Slogans such as “Have it your way” and “we will treat you right” are very affective. You can control a person by letting them choose. On several occasions, I have used this technique when teaching Vacation Bible School . We often give prizes to the children who answer the Bible story questions correctly. From time to time, a child will demand an item like a whistle or bouncy-ball as his reward for giving the appropriate response. I may not have the particular item the child wants because I may have completely distributed that type of toy to other children. In order to prevent the little guy from having a mental breakdown, I subtly convince him to take another prize. I do this by saying something like, “I’m sorry Johnny, I am all out of that particular prize. However, you get the special privilege of choosing between a red car and a blue car. Go ahead! Choose whichever one you want.” The child’s countenance lights up at his new found prerogative. He then quickly chooses between the two left over prizes and forgets about the other toy which he had previously demanded. This method is not fool proof, but it does appeal to that natural desire embedded into every person: the nature of self.

People love to be in control of their lives. They love to have the ‘right’ to choose to live the way they see fit. If people think their well own being is at stake, that will motivate them much more quickly than if someone else’s well being is at risk. The average American will become very indignant about an issue that concerns them directly. Christ’s life and lessons on selfishness are completely contrary to our original selfish nature. The idea of “esteeming others better than ourselves” grates against our mindset. Putting others first often seems weak. To the natural man, the idea of being a servant seems like slavery. However, in the eyes of God and in reality, being a servant is freedom, while being self centered is slavery.

Look at the original conflict with Lot . “There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot ’s livestock.” (Gen 13:7). Strife is often the result of selfishness. Lot ’s downfall could have been prevented had he and his herdsmen simply put others first. “The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” (1 Corinthians 6:7). For the sake of sustaining a relationship wouldn’t it be better to let the other person win? For the sake of Christ and his testimony it is always better to be wronged than to continue in strife that causes division.

Unbeknownst to Lot , he continues in this slavery of selfishness by choosing the “well watered” land for himself. Lot might have felt like Abram owed him something and therefore, Lot thought he deserved this well cultivated land. Maybe Lot justified his choice in his mind by rationing the amount of sheep he possessed. Whatever the justification, Lot made one of the gravest mistakes of his life by making this God-absent choice.

Let’s examine the mindset during Lot ’s timeframe. “They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built: but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17:28-29) Here I find it strikingly unordinary that Jesus does not condemn Sodom because of their infamous acts of immorality. There is a mile long list of grievances that Jesus could have emphasized as the reason for their obliteration. However, He specifically highlights common life practices and routines. Read Jesus’ summary of their lives. Is eating a sin? I sure hope not! God created eating to provide nutrition and enjoyment. It is a way we can offer thankfulness to God (1 Timothy 4:4-5). Is drinking a sin? Remove alcohol out of the scene and there is little room to sin. Is being merry a sin? God calls us to rejoice! Are planting, building, buying or selling sins? Not in themselves.

The people in Sodom ’s day (and in our day) are guilty of throwing their lives away. They were guilty of not submitting to their Creator. They were guilty of doing nothing about their sin. They had become slaves to themselves. There are thousands of Lots and Mrs. Lots across our country today. They settle for an ordinary life and are oblivious of their depravity until it is too late. They never realize they are living in slavery until their calamity proves it to them. For Mrs. Lot, it was too late. Her life had been enveloped in sin and Satan had won victory in her life. Lot had become a victim of the ordinary life, but he was given a second chance after Sodom . I believe if we examine Lot ’s life, we can prevent catastrophe from our own lives.

If you live a life that is based on your choices, your desires, your wants, your needs, your comfort, your enjoyment, your rights, your career, your family, your money, your house, your clothes, your time, your security, your dreams, your goals, your aspirations, and your benefit… you will wreck a potentially beautiful life. The life lived for self is a sorry and useless existence. It is like clawing apart an expensive canvas before it ever had a chance to be painted by a master. Each life is a creation of God and, has the opportunity to reflect His glory for all eternity. When a person settles for the self-gratifying way of life, he destroys every possible chance for satisfaction and lasting beauty. The way of God is not some ridged pain inflicting life. The Way is everything you and I were created for! God’s plan for our lives is one of uniqueness and fulfillment. No other way of life can obtain the lasting joy that God offers. “You will show me the path of life; In your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalms 16:11). Many people think that God is a brutal taskmaster who enforces laws that He installed for no other reason than to make us miserable. O how far from the truth this is! When God makes a decree it is out of love. Submission to His order will cause eternal enjoyment to spring up. Jesus is called the living water in John Chapter Four. The soul that drinks from His Word finds his thirst quenched. Woe to the individual who wanders in the dry desert of self! Woe to that heartbreaking life which perpetually looks for a drop of water to satisfy his years in the hot sands. The self centered life constantly devourers momentary pursuits, only to crave for something greater. If only every man would lay down their foolish independence and humbly embrace the freedom of the Lord’s will.

“The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool!’ This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Lk 12:16-21)

Over ten times this man makes reference to himself! The man in the parable is not any different from millions of people on our planet. I believe this man did not even realize the self centered nature that he was following. Every action he took was focused on his own well being. Is it wrong to prepare for the future? Certainly not! There are many Scriptures which commend planning for the future. In fact, God raised up a man named Joseph to store grain in Egypt to save millions of people from a famine in the land. God used this wisdom for His glory! (Genesis 41:33-57) If none of these reasons were the downfall of the fool in the parable, then where was his error? The man’s error is found in what the man did not do. The man did not include God. This man lived his entire life without every giving a thought about his Creator. The vain life is one that is absent of God.

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then it vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:13-17)

Voltaire once said, “Everyman will be held guilty for all the good he did not do”, but God wrote this truth down long before the French philosopher. God not only holds everyone accountable for the good they did not do, He holds them accountable for the God they chose to exclude. In the parable of the foolish man, God says “This night your soul is required of you!” life was given to that man by grace and was given to him so that he might glorify God. Instead, the foolish man squandered God’s grace and forgot all about his creator. He never gave one iota of thought to why God had created him or to what purpose God had in store of him. It has been said that Satan’s goal is not to make us hate God, but to make us forget God.

God then asks the foolish man, “Who will own your possessions?”. “Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21) Living life for anything but the Lord is like painting the titanic. People toil and labor day after day, and it is all for nothing. A life’s work can vanish in an instant. Priceless art museums have burnt down into ashes. Novels of writers have become fragmented and forgotten. New generations could care less about the previous top models or actors. Self-glory is a sinking ship. Fame is a breath mint in life’s ongoing conversation. Hit records become oldies. High school trophies wind up in trash receptacles. Sports records are surpassed by someone stronger or faster. Other Einsteins will emerge to take his place. Homecoming kings and queens become faded pictures in dusty yearbooks. Presidents are replaced. Warriors grow old. Better, smarter, stronger, more attractive, more talented, and more influential will come after you pass on. Time and death have a way of ensuring that no human is immortal.

“‘Vanity of vanities’ says the Preacher; ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.’ What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-4)

What then is eternal? Is there anything worth living for? Is there anything I do that will not be forgotten in the dust bin of time? There is a more excellent way. You do not have to run on a gerbil wheel throughout your entire existence. You do not have to remain tied to the titanic of temporary pursuits. There is a Treasure that lasts and there is a Cause to live for. A cause greater than yourself: The Gospel of Jesus Christ!

The foundation of

America

lies within its people. Our country is designed so that the common people have power and voice. A single vote can sway the tide of our country. A single conversation can influence a multitude. One person has the capability of altering the direction and thought of America . But what if that one influential person is corrupt? What if that one persuasive person is self-absorbed and fueled by personal gain? What if the one voice that speaks out is deceitful and bent on harming others? Depending on the individual, the path of our nation can be turned for the good or the bad. How can we as youth ensure the voice that is heard is one of truth and moral standing? What action can we as individuals take to guarantee our influence is for the good of others? In order for the youth to change the beat of

America

, the beat must first change within our hearts.

All too often I tend to point out everyone else’s faults while ignoring my own shortcomings. I have a strong tendency to diagnose the problems of the world, without ever going to see the doctor about myself. Last year as I sat in my English class, my eyes were drawn to a black poster with these words written in bold letters: “Before fixing the problems of the world, you must first fix the problem of yourself”. The root of all problems lie within the heart. In the words of Jesus, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” If a person’s heart is evil, the actions of that individual will be selfish and harmful. If a heart is full of love, the deeds of that person will be done with care and concern. Speaking from experience, if I am motivated inwardly to do homework, the grade and quality will be above par. However, if I am forced to do an assignment, the chances of incompletion are much higher. The same principle applies to love, charity, and helping others. The beat of a person’s heart dictates the beat of his action. As an individual, as a generation, and as country, we are in desperate need of a heart transplant.

Since I can remember, I have been bombarded with the idea that life is all about me. Advertisements teach me to believe that my comfort takes first priority in my life. Music, TV, internet and career’s try to convince my heart that I am most important. Selfishness and apathy are characteristics that sometimes plague our generation. This type of thinking is detrimental to our country. This haughty way of life is the downfall of so many. Imagine what our nation would become if people put each other first. No one would ever hear of violence in schools. Trials of thieving multimillion dollar executives would be non-existent. Sharing a meal with a homeless person would become common. If the motives of our generation are changed, our nation would never be the same.

My grandmother would often say, “The one thing you can change at this moment is your attitude”. Initially, we as youth may not be able to change Congress, but we can make a change in ourselves. We may not be able to immediately sway the masses for the right choice, but we can immediately make the right decision. If we are not careful, we can find ourselves missing the trees because we are so focused on the forest. I forget that my part in changing America does not have to be noticed by the world. My role in altering our country for good does not have to be broadcast on the national news. I can humble myself and realize the people in my neighborhood are just as important as anyone else. The hurting people around me are as much in need as those on the national level. The rejected and poor in my community are as significant as those who have wealth and popularity. The author of the book of James said it this way, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” Once I remove my pride, I can begin to change America . Although it may not be publicized or applauded by the world, I can have an eternal impact on those around me.

What could happen if just a handful of youth stopped looking inward and began looking out for other’s needs? How different would our community, city, and country be if those in power thought about others more than themselves? If we esteem others more than ourselves, the course of

America

will change. If we let a selfless worldview grasp our hearts, everything from our school’s hallways to Wall Street would be affected. Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Changing the beat of America begins by changing the beat of our hearts. The change in America begins with us.

Babe of Joy in a manger
Safe from harm, safe from danger.
See a lamb, hear a moo,
Listen to the baby coo.
The night is quiet, all is calm.
See the darling's tender palm?
Soft, sweet hay. Warm, dry stable.
Sing with the angels if you're able
a lullaby to Him from the stars above.
The Perfect Gift; all for love.

Man of Sorrow on a cross;
beaten, bruised, bled and blameless.
See a nail, hear a cry;
He listens to the mocking crowd.
Their hearts are hard. All words are cruel.
See the marred, the ripped, the wretched palm?
Sharp, thick crown of thorns. Cold, bitter drink.
So mourn, for now, with the angels.
It was for us He endured the suffering.
The Perfect Gift; all for love.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

I am not a botany expert nor do I claim to be. However, yesterday I could not help but take notice of a patch of beautiful flowers emerging from some foliage. At twenty feet away, the pink and white flora looked lovely and vivid.

I decided I would examine the flowers and see the intricacies of God's design. It looked as if God had thoughtfully scattered the flowers there for any passerby to be reminded of His existence.

As I reached out to pick one of the flowers, the petals crumbled at the mere presence of my hand.

They seemed to be so brittle, that even if I brushed against them, they would crack and fall to the ground.

At a distance they had looked healthy, yet a real examination showed the opposite.

This flower was different from the rest. I took this unique flower from its bush and put it to the test.

There are many Christians who look healthy from afar, until they are approached.

Just like the flowers, there are many brittle, useless, non flourishing Christians.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

We have been traveling many miles in this beautiful countryside, but the only problem is we haven’t the slightest notion of our location, direction, or whereabouts.

Although neither I nor my family has any idea where we are, our GPS is guiding the way. It makes the journey quite “adventurous”.

All we can do is follow the 3-inch screen and the strange accent that gives us directions.

You see, the GPS knows the right roads to take, the roads to avoid, and it almost seems like it has been here before.

I do not always know the road ahead, I do not always know the best route, and I have never been down this road called life.

Now I find myself in an interesting position. I can try to map out the road on my own… or I can follow God’s Word.

And when I do choose to go my wayward (fuel expensive) direction, I will hear the voice of the GPS saying “recalculating” or “make a u-turn”.

The only difference in following a Tom-Tom, Garmin, or God is…the latter is always right.

Whoever says the Christian life is boring and unadventurous, has obviously never been down God’s road.

“And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua saying: “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’” “Then he spoke to the children of Israel saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the people of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” (Joshua 4, emphasis mine)

God accomplished an amazing work in the lives of the Israelites. God parted the Jordan River to show them He was on their side; He showed them how Joshua was their new leader. God made a bridge for the seemingly impossible and brought the Israelites out of forty long years in a wilderness. After God had worked in their lives, the Israelites were commanded to gather a few stones.

Joshua ordered that twelve stones be taken from the

Jordan

and then set up in some sort of eye-catching configuration. The people stacked and positioned the large stones so that any passerby (specifically their children) would notice them. A new generation of people would grow up asking about the stones.

Today, God is also working in our lives in mighty ways. And I am apart of a new generation looking for stones.

I am one of those passersby who are eager to hear the stories about the stones people have left behind. Those stories behind those stones have the potential to change my life.

I love listening to the testimonies, from the people I respect, about how God has worked in them. Just as God parted the

Jordan

, today Jesus still bridges the gap between heaven and hell. Just as God removed people from the wilderness, today Jesus sets people free from years of bondage.

The people who have influenced my life are the ones who let Jesus influence them. The stones they have left are memories of their speech, actions, and beliefs. They cannot keep quiet about the One who helped them cross the Jordan . They cannot cease from building stone monuments to their Lord.

I decided to start riding my bicycle again this summer. I took it out early this morning to bike a few miles. It was quite peaceful and refreshing as I rode down the path. The birds gliding… the rabbits scurrying away… the falling leaves… all was well.

My tender-self began to feel pain and soreness. The time had come to purchase a new seat.

I drove to the store in search of a new, ultracomfortable, nonexpensive, durable seat.

It must be the right size, angle, shape, material, and color. The only problem is…

All day long I have been indecisive in buying a seat. One minute I’m content, the next I’m second-guessing. I cannot make up my mind!

I do not know which seat to choose or even if the one I choose will be the right one. I will ride around on a seat for a few minutes and seem to like it, but then I will change my mind.

When facing a decision, I can be indecisive, unsure, second-guessing, and confused.

I keep praying but it seems my answer receptor only receives mixed signals or static.

I will just have to wait. I will have to wait to see if the bike seat will be comfortable when I take it out and ride it for a few hours. I will have to wait and see if the seat will endure the rugged mountain trails.

When it comes to prayer, sometimes we just have to wait on the Lord. This shows our trust and faith in His plan, and it proves that we sincerely want His will done …not ours.

“If anyone of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

A tan-green cordlike object was wrapped around a log. I stood still and gazed intently at the strung out play-do.

Thinking it was a snake; I picked up a heavy limb and tossed it onto the creature.

Then it would almost require a learned gardener to differentiate between the true vines, false vines, and the snakes.

Do you know the Word enough to tell the true Vine apart from the false vines and snakes?

At the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, the wisest man to have ever lived sums up the entire purpose of life.

The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of the Lord will endure forever.

As we learned this past week at the Creator Conference, Adam was created from dust… …and to dust Adam returned.

I have watched, read and heard many stories. I have seen countless movies about a hero or underdog that overtakes evil against all odds.

I have read the novels about the one person whom ancient prophecies and legends foretold.

I have heard about the “chosen one” who finds his destiny and sweeps in to save the world and/or girl, treasure, country, or race.

I have seen the film plots in which only one unlikely person knows the real truth, yet no one will believe him. Everyone mocks him or ignores him; it is then left up to that person to guard or reveal the truth to the world.

The underdog emerges and conquers despite the opposition. A Hero does the impossible, chooses the unexpected… and wins.

In literature and movies, the reader watches and cheers for the characters in the story. In the struggling times the reader turns the pages with the expected knowledge that the outcome will eventually be good. In the pain and doubt the book's characters experience, the reader in on edge wishing to tell the main character that the end of the novel is better than that present chapter.

The viewpoint is altered. The words that describe the swords in battle now become iron to embrace or dodge. The pain and confusion of the unknown the reader once viewed as letters on a page, now becomes terror to the heart.

Everything around me faded. It seemed as if the entire room were vacant. All that remained were the cushioned bench and the three or four steps that would soon become my gravesite. If every person I had ever met were in that room, I would have been oblivious to them. The previous events of the day are so vague in my mind I could not even begin to give a rough outline of anything before this decisive moment. Anything before this did not matter to me then, and it does not matter to me now.

After scraping every corner of my mind I can only recall a few memories. Every trace of memory that comes to mind is dark, as if caught in an eerie mist. Every memory is almost gone and is falling away from me, just enough to escape my grasp. My memory is almost extinct and lost forever, except for one incident. I recall hearing the heart-drawing words that shook my soul. The words would demand every fiber of my being to ponder them. The words spoken can never be blotted out, even if I wanted them to be. The words were so effective that I cannot even remember the person who spoke them that day. The words pierced my flesh, heart, and soul. The words, “Come and die.”

I sat almost lifeless, yet never so alive. My heart pounded and squeezed as the man spoke. “Come and die, so you may live!” His words pounded inside my body and then echoed out into the building’s walls. “Die so you may live.” It seemed like a total contradiction. How can you live and yet be dead? How can death bring about anything good? Thoughts like these flooded my head as I listened to this powerful speech. I began to realize the words he spoke were not his own. The words my ears heard were not from a mere human, but from someone much more powerful and worthy. As the speaker continued quoting, I found myself clinging to every letter and syllable that came out of his mouth. This man was not expounding on words that he crafted, but he was quoting from the heart and mouth of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the one who had shaped those beautiful words. And, as the heart of Jesus spoke, the words transformed from a soft whisper into a rushing wind. The words transformed from a contradiction into the only path to completeness. They burst from their cocoon to produce the secret of life itself. “Die so you may live.”

I died. Everything in my life died: my pride, hopes, ideas, loves, thoughts, actions, and desires. I gave it all up to live. It was at that moment that I realized instead of attending my own funeral; I would be attending a celebration. I would no longer be living for me, but I would be living for my God. I would no longer pour my trust and actions into something selfish and vain, but I would pour my life into Someone worthy. From that moment on, I began to live. From that day forward, Jesus Christ became my love, my hope, and my desire.

Some people would say that I am wasting my life living for Jesus. How wrong they are. They do not understand that everyday I wake up, I am not my own, for I have a Redeemer. My temporary dreams and thoughts have been replaced by everlasting ones. Every morning I have something and Someone to live for! Those people who are in confusion about how the death of my passions and lifestyle can bring about good don’t understand, because they have not yet died. The words that compel me are spoken today just as Jesus of Nazareth spoke them two thousand years ago. The words of the way, truth, and life, are still digging wonderful gravesites. Just as I have never been the same since I chose to die, you too, will never be the same if you make this choice. I beg you, “Come and live.”

“And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend it.”

Even though this new experience was painful, it was what the wick was designed for.

The wick would never desire to return to the dark cold nights when it was unlit.

When Christ draws near, sometimes we are like the unused wick. We fear and are unsure of the new life that the Holy Spirit draws us toward.

Yet, when we submit, when we let the Lord burn our unused threads, we will never want to be snuffed out.

Though painful and fearful at first, the results of humbling the heart unto salvation and surrender are unexchangeable.

A simple fascination woke me today. I opened my eyes this morning and observed the blue. Our unique planet is surrounded by this thing called our atmosphere. Inside this massive azure marble there appear white swirls and floating defined clumps.

God’s faithfulness to man reaches to clouds. Clouds can be absolutely beautiful.

The Master Artist carefully lets the suns light, reflect, penetrate, and envelope these fluffy cotton-like creations.

Just like the clouds, God’s faithful presence can be peaceful, pleasant, and greatly desired.

But Clouds can also be powerful. Fierce angry anvils can rule the sky. Gray and black can fill the earth and prove how small we are.

When you look into the sky and see the white cirrus clouds that hover at about 20,000 feet, remember the height of God’s faithfulness toward us.

And when the stratus clouds are low to the ground and touching the horizon, remember that God is faithful and His presence is in your grasp. When the fog pours in, and the clouds graze the top of your head, remember the Creator is near.

This past semester in English class, I was instructed to interview my mom. I was given a list of questions to ask her about her passions, interests, and life. It was a great way to get to know my mom better and learn about her pre-Sean days.

One of the questions on the interview sheet was about her marriage. The question was “who proposed and how”. I asked my mom and she quickly told me that my dad was the one who proposed to her. I was intrigued as to when and how my dad “popped the question” and thought I might log away some pointers for future use. I was shocked by her response.

I chuckled in surprise. I couldn’t believe that she could forget the time when my dad asked her to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him. In my mind it seemed like it would have been so monumental that she could never forget.

There are many strong followers of Christ who honestly do not know when they first decided to follow Jesus. They can not recall the day, the hour, the minute, and the second that they were born again.

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…” 1 John 5:1

“Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased...” Mark 6:51

The lightening outside just flickered. The bellowing sound of the turbulent sky has now reached my house.

I have a Labrador Retriever and every time a storm is on the horizon, my dog is whimpering and cowering.

If you place your hand on his chest, you can feel his heart racing. He is terrified of storms.

Yet, as I place my hand on his head and he begins to realize I’m near… something happens.

His heart is no longer visible through his fur, his breathing become normal, and his whimpering is silenced.

I have no power to stop or control the storm, but I am his owner and for some reason this comforts him.

The storm may continue to rage all around, but because the Master is present… it makes all the difference.

“my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
       "Because you have rejected knowledge,
       I also reject you as my priests;
       because you have ignored the law of your God,
       I also will ignore your children.”

Jesus said man does not live by bread alone, but on every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

The pain it brings me when I see Christians who do not have a love for the Word.

God is just waiting! Waiting, For His child, whom He bought, to open the Word and seek His face.

Let me talk about something that a lot of Christians want to ignore. “Hate what is evil.”

When I look around in the church I see many who make sin seem not so terrible. They want to take something that goes against God, and make it seem ok.

I am referring not only to sins such as: sexual immorality, drunkenness, and stealing.

Lately it seems that if a fallible human has an idea that is somewhat contrary to what the perfect God says, God is the one who needs to change.

My friend, God does not change. God is not the problem. God’s Word is not the problem.

If anything (whether it is an action, philosophy, or idea) is contrary to God’s Word, it is a lie, sin, and evil.

“Do not be deceived; ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

My school was closed today because of the large amount of students who are sick. So many people had the flu, sniffles, and nastiness, the school needed to take a day off. The sick people kept coming back to school and their sickness spread to everyone!

The healthy person becomes sick! I have never seen or heard of a sick person becoming well due to the presence of a healthy person.

When a doctor comes in the room to see a sick patient, the doctor does not spend hours in the presence of the sick person. The doctor enters the room, diagnoses the patient, and prescribes the cure.

As Christians we have the cure for sin. We have the cure for brokenness. We have the cure for death.

Offer the cure to all, love the ones who need it, but do not be deceived. Light has no fellowship with darkness. For what do they have in common?

“…so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders…” 1 Thessalonians 3:12

The bridges that cross over from one person to the other are sometimes strong and concrete. Other bridges are weak and fragile. Either way, both bridges are needed to walk across.

When a bridge is burned there is always remorse. Someone built that bridge and is probably quite sad that their work has been utterly destroyed. When a relationship has been severed, there will always been someone who has been hurt.

When a bridge is burned, smoke will rise. A large fire causes smoke. Other people will see that smoke and wonder what has taking place. When a relationship has been broken, it will always involve more than just two people.

When a bridge is burned, a gap is created. No one can walk across the gap until a new bridge is built. When a relationship is burned, Jesus is hurt. Any opportunity He prepared, through you, to get to another person is ruined. Jesus wants to use us to bring others to a saving knowledge of Him.

Unearthed Ministries purpose is to let God use us to instill a fervent passion for His infallible Word in the hearts of students, adults, and everyone we meet. Our main purpose is to spread the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to proclaim how the Bible is trustworthy and reliable. May it be said of us like it was said about the early Christians, “Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too…saying there is another king- Jesus.” (Acts 17:6-7). Every sport award, academic grade, and achievement will eventually fade away and be forgotten, but the Word of the Lord will endure forever! Jesus gave His entire life for us, it is only logical that we give our entire lives for Him. In the words of Mother Teresa, “Jesus is everything”.

1) The Bible (the 66 books Genesis through Revelation) is the complete and only inspired Word of God and His revelation to humanity. (2 Timothy 3:16)

2) The Scripture has supreme and total authority regarding everything it teaches. It is completely flawless and completely accurate. (Proverbs 30:5-6)

3) The Word is true in every area it touches including geography, historically, scientifically and spiritually. (this includes God’s account of creation as revealed in Genesis) (Isaiah 40:28)

4) Sinful man’s fallible opinion is never to be taken as truth over God’s perfect, flawless Word. (Romans 3:4)

5) No apparent, perceived or claimed evidence in any field can be valid if it contradicts the Scriptural record. (John 1:14)

1) The Godhead is triune: One God, three persons- God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:9-11)

5) Jesus rose bodily from the grave and is able to forgive sin and conquer death for all those who place their faith in Him. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

6) Jesus ascended into heaven and is at the right hand of the Father. He will return to judge the living and the dead. (Revelation 22:2)

1) Jesus died and took the complete penalty of sin for all those who repent and place their faith in Him. (John 3:16, 1 John 2:2)

2) Man is sinful by nature and choice and must receive salvation from Jesus Christ to have eternal life in heaven. (Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23)

3) Salvation is a gift to all those who trust Him and believe that died for their sins and rose again from the dead. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10)

5) There are only two places after death. For those who did not trust Jesus, eternal separation from God and conscious suffering for payment of their sin. For those who did believe in Jesus, peace and life with God in heaven for all eternity. (Romans 6:23, Revelation 20:14-15, Revelation 21:1-4)

About three months ago a close friend of mine challenged me to read and become an expert on one book of the Bible, for a prize. I, just like most people, love prizes. So of course I did it. My friend being wiser than me knew I would receive a much greater prize than what he would give me. So I read the book of Job. While reading the book of Job I realized there were several things I should be doing in my life, and several things I should not. About a month later I stopped reading because I had fulfilled my duty and received the earthly prize, a bumper sticker. Then I was asked what book I was currently reading in the Bible. I had to confess that I was not reading any. So I was encouraged to always be reading and he suggested 1 Peter. So I read 1 and 2 Peter. What I found were some rules to live by. This lead to the question of what Old Testament rules are we still held accountable for? So he told me to read Galatians and what I found was this:

Galatians 2:16- Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:11- Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because the “The righteous will live by faith”.

Galatians 3:24-25- So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we may be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

Galatians 5:4- You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from the concept of grace.

Galatians 5: 13- …But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

The book of Galatians is only 4 pages long but has an enormous amount of truth. My friend also encouraged me to read the first 7 chapters of Romans, and this is what I learned:

Romans 2:1-…For at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself…

Romans 5:1- Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 6: 14- For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law but under grace.

Romans 7:6- But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

At this point I was beginning to wonder what purpose at all the law could serve. We are not bound to it. So why is it there? The answer came in the very next verse.

Romans 7:7- …I would not have known what sin was except through the law…

Now I have my answer. I set out to find the law I should follow. If you know me at all you know I am very legalistic. I argue points by the letter of the law. Through my reading, what I found was not a set of rules, but rather an understanding of the spirit of the law. The laws are there to help us become closer to God, but the laws are not God. In order to truly follow the “Law” we need to seek God’s will. We need to know what he wants. It is never about how much can we do without sinning, but about staying as far from it as possible and making our life about pleasing Him in every way possible.

May the truth of this letter give all the glory to Jesus Christ and help you in your relationship with Him.